THE SCENE: Sunny, temp in high 80s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 8 Cherry Pickers, 8 Twisties, 7 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, 5 Paradactyls Forward and Backward, Stretches
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign at the Southeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg. We will do 20 Flutter Kicks.
Mosey to the parking lot that is to the east side of the Utilities Bldg. We will stop to do 20 Hello Dollies. We will then Bear Crawl across half the parking lot and Lunge across the other half.
Mosey to the shaded area the the southwestern corner of the Utilities Bldg. We will do 10 Tempo Squats.
Next, we will go along the perimeter trail as it heads south and then east toward the water area where there are benches overlooking the water. We will run for six lights and walk for two lights until we get to our destination. Then, each man will grab a boulder from the boulder pile near the water’s edge. We will do the following exercises with the boulders:
- 25 Shoulder Presses
- 25 Curls
- 25 Rows
- 25 Squats
After putting the boulders back we will go west and south along the perimeter trail until we reach the pavilion that is close to the Lily Pad. We will get there by running for six lights and walking for two lights until we reach our destination.
Mosey to the Outdoor Chapel. We will do 20 Baby Crunches then run on the sidewalk as it circles the chapel. We will rinse and repeat twice.
Mosey up the grass that is south of Pickett’s Charge. We will be running up to the stairs that goes up from the small parking lot left of the coliseum. There will be three hills to climb. We will stop to do two burpees af the top of each hill.
Mosey to the end of the gravel parking lot for the Admin Bldg. We will sprint about 50 yards north on the roadway. We will take a brief rest and sprint back to the parking lot. Then, we will sprint back to the AO flag.
MARY:
20 Flutter Kicks and 20 Bicycle Kicks
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
During my first number of years working as a psychologist at Cherokee Health Systems (where I still work), I spent about 6 hours per week consulting on the Oncology/Hematology Unit at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH). I saw many many kids with cancer. I loved the staff members, including doctors Ray Pais and Shahid Malik, on the unit because they were mighty special people. The staff had such a heart for the patients and the families of the patients who came there. I also loved the kids on the unit. Some had bald heads due to chemotherapy, some may have had trouble walking, some were sickly, some may not have had much longer to live. But they still loved to play, they still loved to laugh, they still were affectionate, and they still had a zest for life. You might think that a cancer ward would be a sad place to work. Certainly, there was sadness. But I found it to be a joyful place to work. Love abounded there.
My wife, Jan, a psychologist who works on all floors at ETCH, recently sent me an inspiring story about a former patient on the Oncology/Hematology Unit. Hannah Lawson was diagnosed with a cancerous stage three brain tumor at the age of 7. Her dog, Frenchy, was the first to notice something wrong with her. Frenchy pawed at her pillow, knowing Hannah just wasn’t right. Her parents came in and found her disoriented and non-responsive. Two days later, on Valentines Day in 2007, surgeons removed the brain tumor.
The journey was not over for Hannah. She had to go through radiation treatment at the Thompson Cancer Survival Center. During her months of treatment, she would sometimes get letters from U.S Soldiers overseas. U.S. Soldiers often write to kids who have cancer and some become pen pals with kids. Hannah’s pen pal was a soldier named David Creech. Hannah admired what these soldiers like David Creech did. During her treatment and recovery, Hannah began to think of how she, also, might help others. She created Hannah’s Army Angels which raised money for the pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Hannah’s Army Angels also collected supplies to send to soldiers overseas. Because of what she had accomplished through her Hannah’s Army Angels, the Tennessee legislature recognized her bravery and compassion with a proclamation and special metal coin on the senate floor in Nashville.
After graduation from high school, Hannah went on to study nursing at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Now age 22, she still has some remnants of the cancer and brain tumor, including left-sided weakness and permanent baldness on the right side of her head. Guess where she is now working? At ETCH on the same ward where she received treatment all those years ago. Pediatric oncology was always her passion in college. And, her prior treatment is one of her greatest connections to the young patients she is caring for ETCH.
Two other things to mention in this happy story. Hannah is getting married in October. And, her dog Frenchy, who found her that day back in 2007 and helped to save her life – she is still alive and will walk down the aisle as the flower dog on Hannah’s wedding day.
God, thank you for warriors like Hannah Lawson. May they be an inspiration to us and reminder how, we too, can give back to our communities.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Crispr’s friend, Chris, whose mother recently had a massive aneurysm in her brain. She is currently at the hospital. Prayers for Mr. Jinxy’s father who has a heart condition that is worsening. His father was recently released from the hospital. Prayers of praise that the brain tumor of Swimmies’ sister was found to be benign. Prayers for Lillydipper who has total shoulder replacement surgery this Thursday.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mt. Everest public run on September 10 at 10 am. F3 family picnic on September 11 from 4 pm to 8 pm at Victor Ashe Park.
